Terminal and contact construction for electric switches



Sept. 30, 1952 E. N. JACOB] TERMINAL AND CONTACT CONSTRUCTION FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed NOV. 9, 1949 Patented Sept. 30, 1952 N .eoNrAc,r?cb srrRUcr10N ree-emem smm e Jacobi,'M w akeenw sea signor t i l res Simian fi rn ra ien M lwaukee;

poraiiioniof Delaware l p v V EWBM ; -.iThis invention prelates-l o ielectric switches [and hwne s em e ak e News r' v. wmwmo refers more particularlyztorzaztermlnal and icon taeticonstructionior. 'switches..oi%theitypedorming the subject -.matter of :the copending application of Edward =N. .alacobi, serial ';No. 31233109,,wfl1d October 26, 11949. v

, vone ofthe objectsof .thisinventioniis to provideY aisimple, inexpensive contact. andterminal construction for such? switches which :assures good electrical: contact between the" terminal and the i contactper se and whichalso facilitates the use ofra separate surface. .disciior "the: terminal head;

Another object oi this invention is'to provide unimproved vvcontact and terminal: construction which-is so constructedanddesigned asto assure that the faces of the contacts will the absolutely flush with :the face of the terminal head across which the contactor moves. This-is particularly important in switches of i the type disclosed inthe aforesaid copending application wherein the contactor is spring propelled as =we11 as: manually actuated.

Another object of this invention sis.to*provide a contactand terminal which will'facilitate as sembly oi the switch inthat it serves :to hold' the entire terminal head assembly together assitis handled from operation to :operationprior =t iasteningthe head in the switch case. i

, With the above and other objects in -view,-which willappear as the description proceeds; this ine vention resides in the novel construction, com-;- bination and arrangementioi parts substantially as hereinafter described andmore particularly amine means v i :14; "i i5?" 1 on priorto assembly with the=terminal;head; and

-, :E'i cre; (4 isza' sectionalzview insured on the-plane pithelihe 4&4; e

- Referring now1,particularly.-torthexaccompanyra ins drawing the numeral 5 designatesla terminal head.rmq gleciecf-zsuitable gnsniatinamatenalia c having :a fiat ifront; iace== 6 covered by a ZdiSQ' 1,. The disc; 1 is stamped-1mm insulating material having high wear. .resistance ami zprovidesithe tationary;contact;iace;across"which the .smeya-ble' teentactor nots,sho wn,) :of the switchyrotatesi 1 The :molded ermina :h ad5'ahas two" cavities n Band; .9 ormed th rei andextendineindrom its front a e fitand, lead irom.ithe bottomci each f the caviti s i v a hol ii iehwextends :all he w th ou t eterm nai head. Frhenisc ha we ho es it and :l-Lnunthed therethrough d edi e-be'adiacent tet e cavitie t andx'fl defined by the appended c1aims,;it "being aunden I stood that such changes in theprecisei embodiment of thehereindisclosed' invention: may be madeas come within the. scope of the claims. I

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodimentoi the invention constructed according-t0 the-best'mode so far devised for the practical application 01 15118 principlesthereof, and in which:. :J

res e iv when the d c L13 in tim cTh e e a d, i 2 an th r a acentlcavitiesiaiand 9 ae emmed t ontact: members: ,l 3' and 1:14

s e ivelr Y Betheqata tme, v1 er irestampeda immed from sheet metal and ar ess n i lly-c thersame const ucti n, e ch h in a-lflat eo ta t perticn I .n.. a at as ail ii fip iflllil xOfiSQRfmni ne another and. connected by an intermediate -.p or tion H. In the case of the contact member I4- .t e intermediate portion H g is stepped topproyide a' shoulder i8. P; t

s e ed the.e ntact zmembe sr a 'e their een ee o en lit nt sli htly rearwardmt wa d thep e of .their at achin portions-as Sho n in res 2A andBAF-the inc nation being x see ated h se fi ures l Afl ll llyi h v i -pgle f ne portions s e y abou wen ee e purpose of this angulardisposition ofthev'contact portions is to place the contact-members rider slight tension upon assembly with t head'an'd thereby insure the 'des'ired flush rel' ationship betweenthecontact portions a the exposed front face of the disc I, J1

*The extent of the offset between the contact and attaching portions l5 and i6 is suchtha t with the "attaching portion firmly engaging "and I held against the bottom or thecavity the cut r iace otthe contact portion is in position to be perfectly flush withthe exposed outer" face of the disc I.

The attaching portions :have holes is which register with the holes In when the contact members are in place and headed studs are passed through these registering holes'lwithsthe iunderm efl d-,.by h rplen s lei the QQnt andattach nal V the 'molded terminal head.

side of the heads 2| thereof bearing against the attaching portions and holding them firmly against the bottom of the cavity. The opposite threaded ends of the studs 2!} protrude from the back of the terminal head and have nuts 22 threaded thereon, by which the studs are secured in place}; threaded; end portions; of course, providethe trniinarposts for their associated contacts.

The heads 2| of the studs are of a height to havetheir outer faces flushwith the front face 8 of the terminal head and in the case .ofthe stud for the contact member 14 the disc"|overhes the head asclearly shown in Figure 3 whereas" the stud which holds the contact'memb'er It in" place has a contact portion 23 formed on itshead' to extend through the disc 1 and lie opposite the contact portion I and in effect constitute a con- What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an electric switch: a terminal head having a hole therethrough for the reception of a terminal post; a disc of insulating material lying against the terminal head and providing a flat face therefor, said disc having a hole there- ;through, offset laterally'i'iiwithrespct 'tolthe hole in the terminal head, for the receptior'rof a contact; a metal contact member having offset sub- Lstantially parallel contact and attaching portions,

the former being nested within the hole in the disc with one face thereof flush with the exposed face of the "disc, and the latter lying on a plane -beneath the" disc and having a hole registering withthe hole in the terminal head; a headed stud *passingthrougli said registering holes with the underside o f itshead bearing against the attachtinuation thereof. To this end the contact portion 23 has a. height equal to the thickness of the The contact portions I5 of both contact memberslha've lugs'or ears 2'4and 25 projecting from opposite sides thereof. These'lugs or cars are offset with respect to'one another and the former 'i'spositioned to engage the outer face of the disc :1: while the latter engages the underside thereof, a pocket or cavity 26 being provided in the face 'ofithe terminal head'to accommodate the same. :Hence,-the-lugs or ears 24 and 25 coact to hold the contact portions 15 with their'outer'contact surfaces with the outer exposed face of the disc l'andsinc'e the' slight angular disposition of the contact portions I5 shownin Figures 2A and 3A slightly tensions'the contact members the direction to bias their contact portions downwardly; the overlying-lugs-or ears 24 firmly'hold the disc 1 against the face B of the terminal head when the studs are secured in place.

-Itfollows, therefore, that by virtue of the novel construction of the contact" members the terminal head assembly will be held together 'as it is handled from one operation tothe other anduntil it is incorporated in the complete switch'assembly at "which #time the disc I is clamped between a shoulder in the switch case and the terminal head 5, the terminal head being secured to 'the switch case by having an edge portion of the case "clinched thereover. I r Inassembly', the lugs or cars 24 and 25 are passed through the holes H and I2 in the disc with the studs-assembled therewith. Then as thestuds' are passed through the holes in the molded terminal head the lugs or ears hold the discin place until the molded terminal head and disc-"are "clamped together by the nuts threaded onthe studs. This obviatesthe need for a rivet or other f astening means for securing the disc to t fcoursajto; be understood that the lugs I stationarypontactface be perfectlyv smooth and .free from aDMobstruction that might interfere zwithspringqjpropelled rotation of the contactor.

' ing portion to hold the same against the terminal head and'with its other end protruding from the terminal head to provide a terminal post; and a lugextendedi'fromthe contact portion; and engaging 'cvercthe exposed face of theidiscto hold the disc assembledi with: the terminal head. I 2. Thestructure'seta forth in claim' 1* further characterized by the fact that said lugis'sone "of a pair of lugs on the contact portionat opposite sides .the'reofeach oflsetfrom the contactportion a distance such that the: space betweenithe planes defined by their inner faces-is substantially equalto the thickness of the disc and 'e'ngaging opposite-sides of the disc to hold said'face of the contact portion flush with the exposed face of the disc-5 q a,

3:. The; structure set forth in" claim 2 further characterized by the fact that the contaciiportioniof' the contact member is biased toward the plane; of the attaching portion-so that by clamping the"'attaching'iportion against the terminal chead-theficontact :portion'is-"flexed to maintain said discuengagedwith ,the'terminal head un-- deradegree of'tenslon.

4. In an electric switch; a terminal head having a flat surface and having a cavityopening to 'saidriiatfsurface and a' hole leading'from the bottom of the cavity and extending throug'hthe terminalv heady a..disc of' insulating material overlying andzflatwise engaged with said surface of the terminal-head, said 'discnhaving' a .hole th'erethrough; :ofisetdaterall y with respect w the hole'fin theterminalhad, for the reception of axcontactt. a stamped: and" formed sheet' metal contactfmember havingiioffset substantially parallelrfiat'contactand attaching portions, the

former 'beings'et' into the hole in the disc and outer face flush-with thef outer exposed facejfoi the disc 'and tdhold the disc against and assembled with f th'ef ter'n'ii head." I l 5. In an electric switch. a" terminal head having a'flat surfacefand having a cavity opening to said flat-surface and a'-; o1e leading from the bottom of the cavity and extending through the terminal head; a disc'of insulating material overlying and flatwise engaged with said surface.

of the terminal head, said disc having a hole therethrough offset laterally with respect to the hole in the terminal head for the reception of a contact; a stamped and formed sheet metal contact member having offset substantially parallel flat contact and attaching portions, the former being set into the hole in the disc and the latter being received in and overlying the bottom of the cavity in the terminal head and havin a hole registering with the hole'in the terminal head; a headed stud passing through saidregistering holes and secured to the terminal head with the underside of its head bearing against the attaching portion to hold the same against the bottom of the cavity in the terminal head and with the other end of the stud protruding from the terminal head to provide a terminal post; a lug extending from the contact portion and engaging the underside of the disc to hold the contact portion against outward displacement with respect to the disc; and means on the contact portion engaging the exposed face of the disc for holding the disc against and assembled on the terminal head, said means coacting with the lug to hold the contact portion with its outer surface flush with the outer exposed surface of the disc. 1

6. In an electric switch: a terminal head having a flat surface and having a cavity opening to said flat surface and a hole leading from the bottom of the cavity and extending through the terminal head; a disc of insulating material overlying and flatwise engaging said surface of the terminal head, said disc having a hole therethrough partly in line withand partly laterally offset from the hole in the terminal head; a stamped and formed sheet metal contact memher having offset substantially parallel fiat contact and attaching portions, the former occupying the ofiset portion of said hold in the disc and the latter being received in and overlying the bottom of the cavity in the terminal head and having a hole registering with the hole in the terminal head; a headed stud passing throughsaid registering holes and secured to the terminal head with the underside of its head bearing against the attaching portion to hold the same against the' bottom of the cavity in the terminal head and with the other end of the stud protruding from the terminal head to provide a terminal post; a contact portion on the head of the stud occupying the aligning portion of the hole in'the insulating disc, the endsur- I portion on the head of the stud together constitute one stationary contact for the switch.

EDWARD N. JACOBI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,264,955 Schellenger Dec. 2, 1941 2,475,300

Webb July 5, 1949 

